Thanks to V P Singh's idea of a broad anti-Congress front, the BJP burst in on the scene in 1989 coming second after a non-existence all these years. In 1991 and 1996 the BJP's Rita Verma has been elected as the representative. Interestingly, Samresh Singh, who was runner-up as the BJP's candidate in 1989, was runner-up in 1996 as well. But this time as the JD candidate.